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July 27, 2008

G106: Red Sox 9, Yankees 2

Do you ever wonder when Manny Ramirez last felt pressure during a baseball game?

After his comments of a week ago and his knee problems evolved into a weekend media frenzy, playing before a national television audience for the second straight day, and with his team facing the possibility of being swept by the Yankees and falling into third place in the AL East, you might think Manny would be concerned about having a good game.

Maybe he was nervous. But once the rain cleared and the game began around 9 PM, it looked like Manny didn't have a care in the world. He made a superb catch deep in the left field corner, over by the side door, to end the top of the first inning, gliding over cool as a cucumber. In the home half, he doubled to right-center on the second pitch he saw, driving in the Red Sox's first run of the night. That RBI also gave him the distinction of having the most career RBIs of any Dominician Republic-born player.

Manny ripped another double in the third (and later scored), hit a bomb that was hauled in by Melky Cabrera at the very deepest point in the park, singled in a run in the sixth, and skied to right in the eighth.

Most of the Sox had their way with Ponson (4-10-7-1-1, 77), as 12 of the 22 batters to face him reached base.

Lester (7-9-2-1-8, 113) was aces once again, stranding one runner in each of the first four innings, falling into trouble in the fifth by allowing four straight singles and a walk before recording an out, then retiring his last nine batters.

It was a perfect, feel-good night -- a welcome tonic before the Angels series that begins Monday night.

A nice job by Lester tonight. And I for one am DAMN glad that Manny showed some of the non-believers that he is still the man, on the field and at the plate!How fortunate that he got several opportunities tonight to prove them all right, and lo and behold he did just the opposite!Cool.And I will NOT start into any stories about opium, acid, hashish, speed, ludes,.......where was I?Oh yeah. And I will NOT mention that my LL team won both games of a doubleheader today and are 1 win away from a district championship.Not gonna do it.

what do you guys think about this whole manny thing? (kidding)but in all seriousness, if what gammons is saying is true (this is manny's last year as a red sock) i will most definitely be depressed about it.how can you replace him. i understand if you give me a whole bunch of numbers, but his presence. his fucking magic. would you guys be ok with the manny ers over? and then, what if he became a MFY? It would make more sense for him to go to the mets... but there's always a chance of MFY sticking it to us, even if its just for one year.

I can't see any other possibility, but I'm not ready for it to end. No way. But I also know that the Red Sox can do a lot with his $$ off the books.

there's always a chance of MFY sticking it to us, even if its just for one year.

Manny will not sign anywhere for one year. Gammo mentioned a four-year deal (at a possible $25 per, which is insane, and something I think Gammons must be making up), but which AL team would give MBM a deal until age 40?